What do you get when you mix Hawaiian beef, Chinese chicken, double chocolate cookies, Uruguayan wine, Grappa made from Gewürztraminer grapes, fireworks and incense?
I’ll give you a hint: it has something to do with the Moon and the Vernal Equinox, and this coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday …
For those of you who guessed Carnival or Mardi Gras: it was a good guess, but wrong. Everyone who follows the lunar calendar or events in Asia immediately knows that we were celebrating Chinese New Year. After all, what else would one be doing in Montevideo, Uruguay on a Saturday night at the beginning of the Year of the Pig?
The event was hosted by FuBarrio and Golden Lotus at their new digs in Pocitos just around the corner from the British embassy.
Having a keen memory of the magnificent food served at their last party The Southron made sure his “crip” scooter was fully charged and his wheelchair firmly attached. As a precaution, he even arrived as close to the stated hour of the party as possible, rather than make a fashionable entrance later and miss some of the food.
In fairness I must say that for Golden Lotus the food was average—in other words, it was magnificent: on a scale of one to 10, the worst dish was 9.8, the average was 12 and the best was way off the scale. But there I go focusing on the food again to the exclusion of the people.
There were indeed people there.
The people there and were all enjoying the magnificent cuisine. As they came to the door, Uruguayo and Extranjero alike, I could not help but hope that they had just eaten, or were all on food-free diets. (Damn, I’m fixating on the food again.)
Actually, the people were very interesting and it was a good mix of gringos and locals. I had a particularly interesting conversation with a gentleman from Germany who was a libertarian, (which is only slightly more common than a French war hero). My conversations with several Uruguayos centered around why I was here, why other people have moved here, and why we think Uruguay has a future. Virtually every Uruguayo I have met, has been both pleased and flattered that Americans have chosen their country as a new home. When I went on to explain that my goal, and the goal of most of the other extranjeros than I knew, was to make a permanent home here as immigrants, the Uruguayos are amazed.
Eventually, the party naturally divided itself into the two traditional groups to which all modern social gatherings ultimately devolve: smokers and non-smokers.
The non-smokers retained their places in the living room, while the smokers drifted off into a tiny patio in the center of the building. It was less than 3 meters square (maybe 8 feet square), and the only view it offered was of the night sky straight up. At first, its occupants were limited to the cigarette smokers in need of a nicotine fix. But later, The Southron brought out one of the true signs of civilized society—good cigars; and the patio filled to the brim with men and women of good culture and discerning taste. (I say all of the above without any bias or prejudice on my part—I merely report obvious fact and eternal truth.)
At midnight, the time was at hand to repay all the neighbors for a sleepless Christmas night, and for an even more sleepless New Year’s Eve: FIREWORKS!!!
There were firecrackers, Roman Candles, skyrockets, and even gigantic sparklers. It was very, very loud. A few times taxicabs began to enter the street in the center of which we had set up the fireworks; but they immediately thought better of it and did a U-turn.
There were no angry shouts from neighbors, no one turned a fire hose on us, and no police arrived. One cannot help but wonder what the working definition of “drunk and disorderly” is in Montevideo.
The evening closed with the ritual burning of Joss sticks in honor of the Buddha, and FuBarrio passing out red envelopes so that we can all participate in traditional Chinese new year gift giving: a small coin is put into the red envelope and given to someone younger than the giver—it is supposed to bring good luck to both during the next year. In his graciousness, and since The Southron is “older than dirt”, he gave me a fistful of envelopes, as everyone is younger than I.
If I had previously tried to guess what I would be doing on the evening of February 17th in Montevideo, Uruguay, I don’t think “celebrating Chinese New Year” would be among my top 1000 guesses.
I wonder what the neighbors think? Happy Carnival muchachos!
David–
A great posting. I enjoyed it greatly and only regret not being there to enjoy it with the great community that is in Uruguay. I do believe you missed your calling—you should be a counterpoint columnist for Rolling Stone or the Washington Post.
Terry
Left by tkohl on February 18th, 2007
Have the Uruguayos ever commented as to why they are amazed that expats would choose their country?
Loggy
>>It seems to be a combination of an inferiority complex with regard to Buenos Aires, Argentina AND the general lack of good jobs and opportunities for young people here. We immigrants see opportunities here that most native Uruguayos do not: perhaps because we come from cultures that value innovation more so than here, or perhaps simply because we are modern day pioneers who are looking more closely for opportunities than others are.
The Southron
Left by Loggy on February 19th, 2007